Captain Niall Curran led St Mary's College into the quarter-finals with a win over never-say-die King's Hospital at Lakeland's Park yesterday.

The biting wind was always going to have a big influence over the outcome and King's Hospital got out to an early lead when fly-half Dan Courtney broke left to slip the ball out to wing Dan Coor, who showed his pace into the left corner.

The next score would be crucial. It came from St Mary's, their hooker Oisin Donnelly powering over at the rear of a maul to level it up. Their No 8 Sean Donohoe was beginning to dominate in the air and Curran likewise on the ground.

However, a King's Hospital breakout almost led to a second try by Coor, with Courtney having to settle for a penalty in the 24th minute. St Mary's Derry O'Connor made it level at the break.

After St Mary's came within inches of their second try, scrum-half O'Connor smartly sniped the blindside for wing Cian Buckley to squeeze in at the left corner in the 34th minute.

The Blues dominated the second period, captain Curran eventually making the game safe with a back-row move off their superior scrum in the 51st minute, which O'Connor converted.